PLANS to scatter Sydney’s southern suburbs with high-rises will create eyesores to be regretted for generations.

That’s the fear prompting some of Australia’s leading architects to call on the NSW government to rethink its plans to rezone the southwest for towers of up to 25 storeys.

Five gold medal-winning architects, including internationally renowned Glenn Murcutt, and 12 other award-winners signed a petition saying the plan was “inappropriate” for future generations.

Building residential high-rise around rail stations in Canterbury, Campsie and Belmore overlooked important factors like sunlight, street design and public space, the petition said.

“There should be … a reconsideration of the general heritage of the areas before it is eradicated,” it said.

A high-rise building in George St, Burwood. Picture: John AppleyardSource: News Corp Australia

The rezonings of up to 25 storeys in between Canterbury and Punchbowl are part of a push to build 36000 more dwellings along the southwest corridor over the next 20 years.

There are similar “priority precincts” planned across Sydney, leaving many worried about overdevelopment.

The architect who organised the petition is Angelo Candalepas, this year’s recipient of the state’s most prestigious award for residential architecture.

He warned the rezoning plans were knee-jerk reactions to short-term problems that would have long consequences. Once built, strata laws meant high towers were near impossible to tear down.

“We need to ensure that these buildings are not problems in the future,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.

“They will still be standing in 100 years, but they won’t look very good.

“Twenty-five-storey buildings are more than 78 metres high, and there are no trees high enough nor streets wide enough to hide bad buildings. They will be seen for long distances.

“There is nothing in the plan to protect against that. This is the period that will transform our city and yet no one is looking at the detail, nor is anyone in the government proposing anything visionary.”

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Mr Candalepas said residential high-rise could work if the towers were designed well and consistently.

But this plan had few built-in quality controls, he said. The towers would cast large shadows, especially in winter, be buffeted by winds at higher storeys, and offer little private space.

Sydney should be looking to create an attractive, liveable city rather than replicate the towers built in places such as Hurstville and Burwood.

“I don’t think anyone is going to suggest that St Leonards, Strathfield, Burwood or Hurstville are a great legacy for Sydney.”